Automatic deflator valves with vortex-like air flow with improved tire valve stem connection

ABSTRACT

An improved deflator valve is described herein. The deflator valve has a main body with one or more ports, one or more vents, or port or vent slots for introducing air into or relieving pressure from within the main body in a vortex, circular flow. The deflator valve also includes a piston having an O-ring disposed around an outer circumference of the piston. The O-ring of the piston and the ports and vents are effective for reducing noise and deflation time and improving accuracy and ease of adjusting a pressure setting. The deflator valve can further include a dual or variable rate spring that can achieve an extensive destination pressure range. The deflator valve can also include a threadless lead in, fewer valve stem threads, or a lock chuck for enhanced valve stem attachment methods.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a non-provisional and claims benefit of U.S.Provisional Application No. 63/231,162 filed Aug. 9, 2021, thespecification(s) of which is/are incorporated herein in their entiretyby reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to automatic deflator valves including,but not limited to, automatic deflator valves that have modified exhaustvents varying in number, size, shape and angles, that incorporate anO-ring around the piston, and that have input ports varying in number,size, shape and angles for quick, adjustable, accurate, and repeatablecontrolled deflation and automatic shut off pressure accuracy. Thepresent invention also incorporates faster and easier valve stemattachment methods when used on standard tire valve stems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

An automatic deflator valve is based on a spring-loaded pop valve thatautomatically turns on when a preset pressure is reached or exceeded andautomatically turns off when the desired adjustable shut off pressure isreached. A desired pressure, also referred to herein as “destinationpressure”, is the pressure that a user chooses and adjusts to deflatedown to. Referring to a sectioned tire deflator shown in FIG. 2A, whilein the off position, the tire pressure is delivered through the inputports in the plate of the main body to a small area within/at theseating ring that is sealed against the seating pad at the bottom of thepiston.

Automatic tire deflators may either automatically or manually be toggledon. Referring to a sectioned tire deflator shown in FIG. 2B, oncetoggled on, the air pressure then sees the body bore (also referred toherein as “piston cavity”) and the larger area at the entire bottom ofthe piston. This air pressure times the entire piston bottom areaproduces a force that overcomes the spring force and maintains thepiston in the on position until the pressure drops to the presetdestination pressure. As the tire pressure drops, the spring forceeventually overcomes the resultant air pressure force against the entirebottom of the piston area due to the decreased air pressure. Thisautomatically toggles the deflator off, and the tire is at the desireddestination pressure.

In the case of a compressor tank safety pop valve, it automaticallyturns on when the tank pressure exceeds a predetermined maximum. Neitherthe turn on or turn off pressure tolerances are as critical as with anautomatic tire deflator used for setting off-road tire pressure. As usedherein, compressor tank safety pop valves, pop valves and tire deflatorvalves may be referred to as deflators or deflator valves.

Referring to FIG. 2C, a sectioned tire deflator shown in the on positionfurther identifies some of the more critical, tolerance-related leakageand exhaust paths. It shows that the air sees tolerance-related leakagepaths (shown with dashed arrows) between the bore and the outsidediameter of the piston. This air creates pressure within the springchamber. The spring chamber in turn delivers air to unpredictable springshaft-to-adjustment cap exhaust vents and unpredictable lock nut andadjustment cap-to-body thread exhaust vents. The exhaust rates will varywith tolerances and the relative mutual contact surface engagementrelationships. These tolerance leakages also result in a backpressureforce (indicated by a solid arrow) inside the spring cavity that adds tothe spring force. This leads to less accurate, less repeatable andunreliable, undesirable, varying destination shut off pressures.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an objective of the present invention to provide an improveddeflator valve having faster deflation time, reduced noise, betteraccuracy, ease of adjusting the destination pressure, and reducedattachment and removal time with fewer attachment threads or lock chuckattachment methods.

In some aspects, the present invention features a deflator valvecomprising a main body having a plate perpendicularly attached to aninterior of the main body to divide the interior into a piston cavityand a valve stem cavity, one or more input ports disposed through theplate for fluidly connecting the valve stem cavity to the piston cavity,a depression pin projecting from the plate and into the valve stemcavity, and one or more vents disposed on the main body for relievingpressure from within the main body. In some embodiments, the one or moreexhaust vents are perpendicular, skewed, or at various angles in thepiston cavity. In other embodiments, the one or more exhaust vents arecircular shaped, square shaped, slotted, or any other regular orirregular shape. In yet other embodiments, the one or more exhaust ventsare of an irregular, non-rounded shape.

In some embodiments, the deflator valve also includes a piston movablydisposed in the piston cavity. The piston can have a membrane paddisposed on an end of the piston facing the plate of the main body. Insome embodiments, an O-ring may be disposed around an outercircumference of the piston. Preferably, the O-ring creates a seal thatreduces or eliminates air leaks between the piston and the pistoncavity. In some embodiments, the O-ring is not a perfect seal and actslike a partial seal. In other preferred embodiments, the O-ring can actas a cushion and reduce (or eliminate) vibration and/or deflation noise.

In some embodiments, a lock nut is threadably coupled onto the main bodyvia threads disposed on a portion of an outer surface of the main body.An adjustment cap having a threaded inner surface mates with the outerthreads of the main body to cap the piston cavity. The area between theinside of the adjustment cap and above the plate is the spring chamberThe deflator valve further comprises a spring shaft coupled to theadjustment cap and disposed in a shaft cavity within the piston suchthat a shaft tip rests upon a shaft seat in the piston. A spring iswrapped around the shaft and a first end of the spring sits in anadjustment cap spring seat and a second end of the spring sits in ashaft spring seat near the shaft tip. The spring is thus compressedbetween the adjustment cap spring seat and the shaft spring seat. Theadjustment cap is threadably positioned on the main body to compress, ordecompress the spring and achieve a desired force setting which resultsin a desired destination pressure. Once the adjustment cap is set to thedesired deflation pressure, the lock nut is threaded so as to abutagainst the adjustment cap and lock or set it in place.

The unique and inventive technical features of the present inventioninclude the O-ring of the piston and the skewed, slotted, or irregularlyshaped exhaust vents and input ports. Without wishing to limit theinvention to any theory or mechanism, it is believed that the technicalfeatures of the present invention advantageously results in noisereduction and ease, accuracy of setting pressure adjustments, a moreaccurate and repeatable destination pressure and reduced deflation timeof the deflator valve. None of the presently known prior references havethese unique inventive technical features of the present invention.

In one embodiment, the deflator valve comprises one or more springs. Inanother embodiment, the deflator valve comprises a single, dual orvariable rate spring. In some embodiments, the spring can achieve adesired destination pressure setting that can be any pressure. As anon-limiting example, the destination pressure can be in the range of 1to 65 psi. Without wishing to limit the invention to any theory ormechanism, the dual or variable rate spring can also reduce noise,increase ease of setting the pressure adjustment, reduce deflation time,and increase accuracy and repeatability of the deflator valve.

In some embodiments, the deflator valve of the present invention mayhave a reduced number of stem cavity threads, as compared to those ofprior deflator valves, to lessen the attach and detach time. In anotherembodiment, the deflator has a threadless lead-in to pre-align threadengagement.

In other embodiments, the deflator valve has a lock chuck to furtherreduce and simplify deflator attach and detach times to one simpleaction versus traditional multiple twisting for threaded attach anddetach method. The lock chuck securing pawl engages the valve stemthreads allowing the lock chuck to be slightly turned clockwise toensure a tighter, firmer seal between the valve stem and the lock chuck.

Any feature or combination of features described herein are includedwithin the scope of the present invention provided that the featuresincluded in any such combination are not mutually inconsistent as willbe apparent from the context, this specification, and the knowledge ofone of ordinary skill in the art. Additional advantages and aspects ofthe present invention are apparent in the following detailed descriptionand claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from a consideration of the following detailed descriptionpresented in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1A shows an exploded view and an assembled view of a deflator valveaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1B shows a cross-sectional view of the deflator valve of thepresent invention in the off position and incorporating an O-ring aroundthe piston.

FIG. 1C shows a cross-sectional view of the deflator valve of thepresent invention in the on position where the O-ring around the pistonprevents tolerance air leakage into the spring chamber.

FIG. 2A shows a cross-sectional view of a prior deflator valve in theoff position.

FIG. 2B shows a cross-sectional view of the prior deflator valve in theon position.

FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional view of the prior deflator valve in the onposition with air leaking paths shown in dashed arrows.

FIG. 3 shows an interior view of a main body of the deflator valve.

FIG. 4 shows a piston of the deflator valve that includes an O-ringdisposed around the piston, and a membrane pad having a membrane indent.

FIG. 5 is a zoomed-in view of input ports in the main body of thedeflator valve. The input ports may be in an asymmetrical layoutrelative to a seating ring of the plate, or alternatively, the inputports may be close to or perfectly centered.

FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the main body of the deflatorvalve having a threadless lead-in that transitions to stem cavitythreads. The threadless lead-in simplifies starting a deflator on avalve stem.

FIG. 7 is a cut away view of the valve stem cavity of the deflatorvalve, which shows the threadless lead-in that transitions to stemcavity threads, a depression pin, and a valve stem O-ring.

FIG. 8 shows an example of a valve stem core, which threads into a valvestem.

FIG. 9A shows a top and a cross-sectional view of a straight portaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9B shows a top and a cross-sectional view of a skewed portaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9C shows a top and a cross-sectional view of a diagonal portaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9D shows a top and a cross-sectional view of another embodiment ofa skewed port.

FIG. 10A shows a top and a side view of a straight thru vent accordingto an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10B shows a top and a side view of a skewed vent according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10C shows a top and a side view of an offset vent according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10D shows a top and a side view of another embodiment of a diagonalvent.

FIG. 10E shows a top and a side view of a diagonal skewed vent accordingto an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a zoomed-in side view of vents in the main body of thedeflator valve.

FIG. 12 shows a simplified top view of a deflator valve with arepresentative skewed input port and skewed exhaust vent. A vortex,circular flow (path shown in dashed lines) introduced by the skewedinput port and exiting at the skewed vent results in improvedperformance.

FIG. 13 shows a top and a side view of various embodiments of the vents.

FIGS. 14A and 14B show a top and a cross-sectional view of analternative embodiment of the input ports and exhaust vents.

FIG. 15A shows an embodiment of the deflator valve with a lock chuckattachment mechanism.

FIG. 15B shows a locking pawl of the lock chuck.

FIG. 15C shows a side view of the deflator valve with a lock chuckattachment mechanism.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Following is a list of elements corresponding to a particular elementreferred to herein:

-   -   100 screw on deflator valve    -   101 main body    -   102 input port(s)    -   103 exhaust vent(s)    -   104 plate    -   105 sidewall    -   106 piston cavity    -   107 valve stem cavity    -   108 depression pin    -   109 threadless lead in    -   110 stem cavity threads    -   111 adjustment threads    -   112 valve stem O-ring    -   113 seating ring    -   120 piston    -   121 piston O-ring    -   122 membrane pad    -   123 membrane pad indent    -   124 shaft cavity    -   125 shaft seat    -   130 adjustment cap    -   131 spring chamber    -   132 reference mark    -   133 adjustment cap spring seat    -   140 spring shaft    -   141 shaft tip    -   142 shaft spring seat    -   143 spring    -   150 lock nut    -   160 start ring    -   170 body axis    -   171 port axis    -   172 vent axis    -   200 lock chuck deflator valve    -   201 lock chuck    -   202 pawl    -   300 valve stem    -   301 valve stem core

According to some embodiments, the present invention features a deflatorvalve for reducing deflation time. Referring to FIG. 1 , in oneembodiment, the deflator valve can be a screw on deflator valve (100).Referring to FIG. 15A, in another embodiment, the deflator valve can bea lock chuck deflator valve (200).

In some embodiments, the deflator valve may be used for deflating apressurized vessel. For example, the deflator valve may be used inconjunction with a valve having a valve stem (300) for deflating a tire.Other applications of the deflator valve include, but are not limitedto, automated systems requiring pressure relief, pressure safety controlsystems, OEM equipment, and pressure vessel protection.

In some embodiments, the deflator valve may comprise a main body (101)having a plate (104) disposed within the main body (101) to divide aninterior into a piston cavity (106) and a valve stem cavity (107), oneor more input ports (102) disposed through the plate (104) for fluidlyconnecting the valve stem cavity (107) to the piston cavity (106), andone or more exhaust vents (103) disposed through a sidewall (105) of themain body in the piston cavity (106) for relieving pressure from withinthe main body. In some preferred embodiments, the one or more inputports (102) are skewed such that for an entrance and an exit of eachinput port are offset from one another. In other preferred embodiments,the one or more exhaust vents (103) are skewed such that an entrance andan exit of each exhaust vent are offset from one another.

As used herein, the term “vent” refers to an exhaust where air comes outor exits the deflator. The vent can be a hole, opening, port, output ororifice. The vent can have various shapes and is not limited to acircular hole. For example, the vent can be a slot. The vent can bemachined into the main body (101) by drilling, punching, cutting,milling or casting.

Referring now to FIGS. 4-7 , the plate (104) may include a depressionpin (108) projecting from the plate (104) and into the valve stem cavity(107). In other embodiments, the plate (104) further includes a seatingring (113) disposed thereon and facing the piston cavity (106). In someembodiments, the main body (101) further comprises adjustment threads(111) disposed exterior to the piston cavity (106). In some embodiments,the deflator valve may further comprise a valve stem O-ring (112)disposed within the valve stem cavity (107) and adjacent to the plate(104).

In some embodiments, the main body (101) further comprises a threadlesslead in (109) that transitions to stem cavity threads (110) disposedwithin the valve stem cavity (107). In alternative embodiments, as shownin FIG. 15B, the deflator valve may further comprise a pawl (202)operatively coupled to the main body (101) and disposed through thevalve stem cavity (107).

According to a non-limiting embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1A, the presentinvention features a deflator valve for reducing noise and deflationtime and improving accuracy and ease of adjusting a pressure setting.The deflator valve may be configured to be removably attached to a valvestem (300) of a pressure vessel for deflating the pressure vessel to thedesired pressure.

In one embodiment, the deflator valve may comprise a main body (101), apiston (120), a lock nut (150), an adjustment cap (130), a spring shaft(140), and a spring (143). In some embodiments, the main body (101) maycomprise a plate (104) perpendicularly disposed within the main body(101) to divide an interior into a piston cavity (106) and a valve stemcavity (107), one or more input ports (102) disposed through the plate(104) for fluidly connecting the valve stem cavity (107) to the pistoncavity (106), one or more exhaust vents (103) disposed through asidewall (105) of the main body in the piston cavity (106) for relievingpressure from within the main body, a depression pin (108) projectingfrom the plate (104) and into the valve stem cavity (107), a seatingring (113) projecting from the plate (104) and facing the piston cavity(106), and adjustment threads (111) disposed exterior to the pistoncavity (106). For example, the adjustment threads (111) may be disposedon a portion of the outer surface of the main body.

In some embodiments, the one or more input ports (102) are skewed suchthat for an entrance and an exit of each input port are offset from oneanother. In other embodiments, the one or more exhaust vents (103) areskewed such that an entrance and an exit of each exhaust vent are offsetfrom one another.

In some embodiments, the piston (120) is movably disposed in the pistoncavity (106). The piston (120) may comprise a piston O-ring (121)disposed around an outer circumference of the piston, a membrane pad(122) disposed on an end of the piston facing the plate (104) andabutting against the seating ring (113), and a shaft cavity (124).Without wishing to limit the present invention to a particular theory ormechanism, the piston O-ring (121) creates a seal that reduces oreliminates air leaks between the piston (120) and the piston cavity(106).

In one embodiment, the membrane pad (122) may be secured to the piston(120) by a force fit. In another embodiment, the membrane pad (122) maybe secured to the piston (120) by an adhesive. In some embodiments, themembrane pad (122) can have a membrane pad indent (123) configured toreceive or mate with the seating ring (113). In some embodiments, thepiston is disposed in the piston cavity such that the membrane pad (122)is facing the plate. The opposing end of the piston is open forreceiving the spring shaft.

In some embodiments, the spring shaft is configured to be disposedthrough the spring and in the shaft cavity (124) within the piston.Referring to FIG. 1B, for example, the spring shaft (140) has a shafttip (141) configured to be disposed in the shaft cavity (124) such thatthe shaft tip (141) rests upon a shaft seat (125) in the piston (120).The spring (143) may be wrapped around the spring shaft (140). A firstend of the spring is configured to sit in an adjustment cap spring seat(133) and a second end of the spring is configured to sit in a shaftspring seat (142).

In some embodiments, the spring shaft (140) is coupled to the adjustmentcap (130). The adjustment cap (130) covers or caps the piston cavity(106) as well as the shaft cavity (124) within the piston. Theadjustment cap (130) is threadably coupled to the main body (101) viaadjustment threads (111). For example, the adjustment cap may have athreaded inner surface for mating with the adjustment threads (111) ofthe main body. In other embodiments, a lock nut (150) is threadablycoupled to the main body (101) via the adjustment threads (111).

When assembled, the piston (120) is disposed in the piston cavity (106)of the main body. The membrane pad (122) faces the plate and abutsagainst the seating ring (113). The shaft tip (141) is inserted into theshaft cavity (124) of the piston and rests upon the shaft seat (125).The adjustment cap (130) is threaded onto the main body (101), whichcauses the spring (143) to be compressed or decompressed between and bythe adjustment cap spring seat (133) and the shaft spring seat (142)until the adjustment cap (130) is at a position that achieves thedesired spring force setting. After the adjustment cap (130) is set tothe desired pressure setting, the lock nut (150) is threaded along themain body (101) until it abuts against the adjustment cap (130) to lockthe adjustment cap in place and secure the adjustment cap position.

Without wishing to limit the present invention to a particular theory ormechanism, the spring (143) is configured to reduce noise and easesetting of the desired pressure. In some embodiments, the spring (143)comprises two individual springs. In one embodiment, each spring canhave a different spring rate. In other embodiments, the spring (143) isa single, dual rate spring. In some other embodiments, the spring (143)is a single, variable rate spring. In some embodiments, the spring isconfigured to achieve a desired pressure setting that can be anypressure. As a non-limiting example, the destination pressure can be inthe range of 1 to 65 psi.

Again, without wishing to limit the present invention to a particulartheory or mechanism, the one or more input ports (102) and the one ormore exhaust vents (103) are configured to introduce air into andrelieve pressure from within the main body (101) in a vortex, circularflow as shown in FIG. 12 .

In some embodiments, the deflator valve may further comprise a valvestem O-ring (112) disposed within the valve stem cavity (107) andabutting the plate (104).

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7 , the main body (101) may furthercomprise an attachment mechanism comprising a threadless lead in (109)and stem cavity threads (110) disposed within the valve stem cavity(107). The stem cavity threads (110) are disposed between the threadlesslead in (109) and the valve stem O-ring (112).

In an alternative embodiment, as shown in FIG. 15B, the deflator valvemay include an attachment mechanism comprising a pawl (202) operativelycoupled to the main body (101) and disposed through the valve stemcavity (107).

In some embodiments, the threadless lead in and stem cavity threads(110) or the lock chuck with pawl is configured to receive a valve stem(300). FIG. 8 shows a non-limiting embodiment of a valve stem (300)having a valve stem core (301). The depression pin (108) is configuredto press against the valve stem core (301), thus activating deflation.Without wishing to limit the present invention to a particular theory ormechanism, the attachment mechanism can reduce attach and detach times,whether it is the threadless lead in and fewer threads, or the lockchuck with pawl.

In further embodiments, the deflator valve may include a manual startring (160) attached to a terminal end of the spring shaft that isdisposed through the adjustment cap (130). The manual start ring (160)may be used to initiate the deflation process. Pulling the manual startring (160) pulls the spring shaft (140) away from the piston (120),which causes the piston (120) to slide and lift the membrane pad (122)away from the seating ring (113). This allows for air to push againstthe membrane pad (122) with less resistance, and keep the piston up andin the on position. While pulling the manual start ring (160) increasesthe spring force between the adjustment cap and piston, this also hasthe effect of reducing the force on the piston. The incoming air fromthe input ports (102) has more area to push against, thereby keeping thepiston up and the deflator on.

In the off position versus high and low destination pressures, theoff/on pressure ratio should be a constant. Since the off/on areas donot change, the hardness and material of the membrane pad (122), and/orthe depth of the membrane pad indent (123) into the membrane pad maysubtly change the off area and affect this ratio. Thus, the hardness andmaterial of the membrane pad (122), and/or the depth of the membrane padindent (123) is selected and/or tuned so as to keep the ratio constantor predictable. In other embodiments, the design of the seating ring(113) may also influence the membrane pad indent (123).

An exemplary embodiment of utilizing the deflator valve with a tire isdescribed as follows. When in use, the tip of the tire valve stem isinserted into the deflator valve stem cavity such that the depressionpin pushes the button on the valve core to release air. FIGS. 1B-1C showhow the deflator valve works to lift the piston and deflate air from thetire. It is lifted by the air pressure delivered to the deflator throughthe input ports. In pop valves and tire deflators, the valve toggles offwhen the air pressure times the piston's total circular area is overcomeby the spring force.

Increased deflation speed results in minimum deflation time to reach thedestination pressure. Compressor tank pop valves have one giant exhaustvent. With this approach, the valve typically makes noise and results inunreliable shut off pressure repeatability and accuracy. The noise maybe a humming, whistling, buzzing, melodic, vibrating-like sound. Thenoise may be indicative of undesirable, toggle OFF problems and/orperformance problems. For example, noise usually indicates a vibratingpiston, which means that the spring is being abnormally compressed anddecompressed. The changing compression means less accurate shut OFFpressure. There is a need and desire in the off-road community forquiet, accurate, easy to use deflators.

Without wishing to limit the invention to a particular theory ormechanism, the O-ring on the piston seals or partially seals the pistoncavity 360° thereby eliminating or significantly reducing piston-boreleakage. This in turn makes the spring shaft to adjustment captolerances of little or no importance. This cumulatively results insimplified destination pressure adjustment due to a predictableadjustment rate solely dependent on the spring rate with lesserinfluence of the adjustment cap to spring shaft and other toleranceleakage paths. An additional benefit of the O-ring is that it eliminatesundesirable noise. The inventor surprisingly found that when the O-ringwas implemented in the deflator valve, the O-ring on the piston curedthe noise problem and also benefited the set pressure adjustment processand accuracy.

Traditional exhaust vents of both automatic tire deflators andoverpressure pop valves use a single round exhaust hole with noexceptions. The vent is round and always drilled perpendicular to thebody axis. Furthermore, deflator valves do not have multiple vents.Adding multiple, conventional exhaust vents was found to notsignificantly reduce deflation time. This may be caused by the air flowhaving to make abrupt changes in direction after leaving the inputports, which creates eddies that disrupt and slow the exhausting air.

FIG. 2A-2C shows prior deflator valves in the off and on pistonpositions, tolerance leakage paths and how tolerance air leakageinfluences performance. FIG. 2A shows a cross-sectional view of a priordeflator valve in the off position. Air comes up through the input portsand pushes against the area confined within the seating ring at thepiston seating pad as indicated by the arrows. This produces a forcethat is the seating ring area times the input tire pressure. In the offposition, the input pressure times the seating ring area force is notsufficient to overcome the spring force holding the deflator in the offposition.

FIG. 2B shows a cross-sectional view of the prior deflator valve in theon position due to the force of the input port air pressure times thetotal area of the bottom of the piston being greater than the springforce. FIG. 2C shows the prior deflator valve in the on position withair leaking at the body-to-bore tolerance and exhausting at theadjustment cap to spring shaft tolerance and the body to lock nut andadjustment cap thread paths shown by dashed arrows, whereas the ventingair is shown with dashed-dot arrows. This tolerance leakage also resultsin a backpressure force (solid arrow) inside the shaft cavity of thepiston that adds to the spring force. As the related tolerances vary, sovaries the backpressure force and hence the deflator's adjustment rate,destination pressure repeatability, and accuracy. This introducesundesirable, destination shut off pressure repeatability errors due tovarying tolerances and inter-part positioning relationships.

Referring to FIG. 1B, the deflator valve of the present invention in theon position incorporates an O-ring (121) around the piston. Asillustrated in FIG. 1C, the O-ring (121) around the piston can preventtolerance air leakage into the spring chamber. Without wishing to limitthe present invention to a particular theory or mechanism, thisembodiment eliminates all tolerance-related leakage paths that result inadditional force on the shaft seat (125) and associated exhaust paths.Eliminating this additional force and tolerance related leakage pathsresult in easier, more accurate and repeatable destination pressureadjustment settings.

As previously discussed, the one or more input ports (102) and/or theone or more vents (103) may be skewed to produce the vortex-like airflow. Without wishing to be bound to a particular theory, thisvortex-like air flow can result in faster deflation times and moreefficient deflation.

Various embodiments of the one or more input ports (102) and the one ormore vents (103) are shown in FIGS. 9A-9D and FIGS. 10A-10E. Thedifferent concepts are presented in said figures using a simplifieddeflator for ease of review. These figures show non-limiting examples ofthe input port and exhaust vent configurations. It is to be understoodthat said examples are not intended to limit the present invention inany way. Equivalents or substitutes are within the scope of the presentinvention.

In accordance with the present invention, the shapes, sizes,arrangement, and location of the vents and ports can vary. In someembodiments, the vent angles relative to the sidewall, and the portangles relative to the plate can also vary.

Without wishing to limit the invention to a particular theory ormechanism, the one or more ports and vents of the deflator valve of thepresent invention can result in a vortex-like air flow in and out of thedeflator as shown by the dash-dot lines in FIG. 12 . In some preferredembodiments, the skewed vents of the present invention are effective formaking the exhaust air flow smoother and faster out of the deflator. Forsome implementations of the present invention, it was surprisingly foundthat the deflator valves reduced the deflation time by at least 30%compared to conventional vents.

According to some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 9A-9D, the deflatorvalve can have one or more ports (102) that are straight, skewed, ordiagonal. As used herein, skewed and diagonal refers to not beingperpendicular to the plate. This means that the entrance of the port andthe exit of the port are not directly aligned. In other words, the portaxis (171) is not parallel to the body axis (170).

FIG. 9A shows an embodiment of a straight port. The body axis (170) andthe port axis (171) are in one plane. The body and port axes areparallel and do not intersect.

FIGS. 9B and 9D show embodiments of skewed ports. The body and port axesare in independent planes. The body and port axes do not intersect.

FIG. 9C shows an embodiment of a diagonal port. The body and port axesare in independent planes. The intersection of the body and port axescan vary.

According to some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 10A-10E, the deflatorvalve can have one or more vents (103) that are straight thru, skewed,diagonal, or offset from center. As used herein, skewed refers to notbeing perpendicular to the sidewall. This means that the entrance of thevent and the exit of the vent are not directly aligned. Offset fromcenter refers to the vent in which the vent axis (172) is normal to thebody axis (170), but the vent axis (172) does not intersect the bodyaxis (170).

FIG. 10A shows an embodiment of a straight thru vent. The entrance ofthe vent and the exit of the vent are directly aligned. The body andvent axes intersect at a right angle.

FIG. 10C shows an embodiment of an offset from center vent. The entranceof the vent and the exit of the vent are directly aligned. The body andvent axes are perpendicular and never intersect.

FIGS. 10B and 10E show embodiments of a skewed vent. The entrance of thevent and the exit of the vent are not directly aligned. The body andvent axes are not perpendicular and never intersect.

FIG. 10D shows an embodiment of a diagonal vent. The entrance of thevent and the exit of the vent are not directly aligned. The body andvent axes intersect at random angles, and may intersect at other angles.

In some preferred embodiments, the configuration of the vents and portsmay result in faster deflation as compared to previous deflator valves.In some embodiments, the various configurations of the vents and portsmay be combined to achieve numerous combinations as long as thecombination can cause air to flow in a vortex, circular flow. Inalternative embodiments, the configuration of the vents and ports mayresult in air flowing in a non-circular path.

In one embodiment, the one or more vents (103) may be in diagonal ventsand the one or more ports (102) are diagonal ports. In anotherembodiment, the one or more vents (103) may be in diagonal vents and theone or more ports (102) are straight ports. In yet another embodiment,the one or more vents (103) may be in diagonal vents and the one or moreports (102) are skewed ports.

In another example, the one or more vents (103) may be in skewed ventsand the one or more ports (102) are skewed ports. In another embodiment,the one or more vents (103) may be in skewed vents and the one or moreports (102) are straight ports. In another embodiment, the one or morevents (103) may be in skewed vents and the one or more ports (102) arediagonal ports.

In another example, the one or more vents (103) may be in offset ventsand the one or more ports (102) are skewed ports. In another embodiment,the one or more vents (103) may be in offset vents and the one or moreports (102) are straight ports. In another embodiment, the one or morevents (103) may be in offset vents and the one or more ports (102) arediagonal ports.

In another example, the one or more vents (103) may be in straight thruvents and the one or more ports (102) are skewed ports. In anotherembodiment, the one or more vents (103) may be in straight thru ventsand the one or more ports (102) are straight ports. In anotherembodiment, the one or more vents (103) may be in straight thru and theone or more ports (102) are diagonal ports.

As shown in the top view of FIG. 13 , a conventional vent intersects themain body perpendicular to the body axis. In some embodiments, the ventsof the present invention are angled relative to a radius of the mainbody, whereas previous vents are in line with the radius. The vents areskewed such that the vents have a positive slope, meaning that the ventsare skewed in the direction of airflow. In yet other embodiments, thevents are skewed both radially and in the direction of airflow. Theskewed vents are shown intersecting and offset to one (either) side ofthe conventional vent. They may be either perpendicular or at an angleto the body axis.

In some embodiments, the number of vents can range from 1 to 10. In someembodiments, the one or more vents (103) can vary in size and shape. Forexample, the deflator valve can have vents (103) that are slotted orcircular. For instance, the one or more exhaust vents (103) may becircular shaped, square shaped, slotted, or any other regular orirregular shape.

In other embodiments, the vent location relative to the seating ring inthe main body may affect the vortex venting. In some embodiments, thevents may all be positioned the same distance away from the seatingring. Alternatively, the vents may be positioned at varying distancesaway from the seating ring. For example, the deflator valve may have twodiametrically opposed vents at one distance away from the seating ringand another two diametrically opposed vents at another distance awayfrom the seating ring. For example, vents at 0° and 180° may be about0.1 mm away from the seating ring and vents at 90° and 270° may be about0.2 mm away from the seating ring. The vents can intersect the sidewallof the main body at various angles and directions.

In some embodiments, the number of input ports may range from 1 to 6. Insome embodiments, the one or more input ports (102) may be any size andshape. For example, the one or more input ports (102) may be circularshaped, semi-circular shaped, or square shaped. As shown in FIG.14A-14B, a non-limiting embodiment of the input ports may be twosemi-circular input ports instead of four circular input ports. Theports can intersect the plate at various angles and directions. In someembodiments, the spacing between the ports (102) and the depression pin(108) can vary. The spacing may be the same for each port or the spacingmay vary.

As used herein, the term “about” refers to plus or minus 10% of thereferenced number.

Although there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment ofthe present invention, it will be readily apparent to those skilled inthe art that modifications may be made thereto which do not exceed thescope of the appended claims. Therefore, the scope of the invention isonly to be limited by the following claims. In some embodiments, thefigures presented in this patent application are drawn to scale,including the angles, ratios of dimensions, etc. In some embodiments,the figures are representative only and the claims are not limited bythe dimensions of the figures. In some embodiments, descriptions of theinventions described herein using the phrase “comprising” includesembodiments that could be described as “consisting essentially of” or“consisting of”, and as such the written description requirement forclaiming one or more embodiments of the present invention using thephrase “consisting essentially of” or “consisting of” is met.

The reference numbers recited in the below claims are solely for ease ofexamination of this patent application, and are exemplary, and are notintended in any way to limit the scope of the claims to the particularfeatures having the corresponding reference numbers in the drawings.

What is claimed is:
 1. A deflator valve for reducing deflation time,comprising a main body (101) having: a) a plate (104) disposed withinthe main body (101) to divide an interior into a piston cavity (106) anda valve stem cavity (107); b) one or more input ports (102) disposedthrough the plate (104) for fluidly connecting the valve stem cavity(107) to the piston cavity (106), wherein the one or more input ports(102) are skewed such that for an entrance and an exit of each inputport are offset from one another; and c) one or more exhaust vents (103)disposed through a sidewall (105) of the main body in the piston cavity(106) for relieving pressure from within the main body, wherein the oneor more exhaust vents (103) are skewed such that an entrance and an exitof each exhaust vent are offset from one another.
 2. The deflator valveof claim 1, wherein the plate (104) includes a depression pin (108)projecting from the plate (104) and into the valve stem cavity (107). 3.The deflator valve of claim 1, wherein the plate (104) further includesa seating ring (113) disposed thereon and facing the piston cavity(106).
 4. The deflator valve of claim 1, wherein the main body (101)further comprises adjustment threads (111) disposed exterior to thepiston cavity (106).
 5. The deflator valve of claim 1, furthercomprising a valve stem O-ring (112) disposed within the valve stemcavity (107) and adjacent to the plate (104).
 6. The deflator valve ofclaim 1, wherein the main body (101) further comprises a threadless leadin (109) that transitions to stem cavity threads (110) disposed withinthe valve stem cavity (107).
 7. The deflator valve of claim 1, furthercomprising a pawl (202) operatively coupled to the main body (101) anddisposed through the valve stem cavity (107).
 8. The deflator valve ofclaim 1, wherein the one or more exhaust vents are circular shaped,square shaped, slotted, or any other regular or irregular shape.
 9. Adeflator valve for reducing noise and deflation time and improvingaccuracy and ease of adjusting a pressure setting, comprising: a) a mainbody (101) comprising: i) a plate (104) perpendicularly disposed withinthe main body (101) to divide an interior into a piston cavity (106) anda valve stem cavity (107); ii) one or more input ports (102) disposedthrough the plate (104) for fluidly connecting the valve stem cavity(107) to the piston cavity (106), wherein the one or more input ports(102) are skewed such that for an entrance and an exit of each inputport are offset from one another; iii) one or more exhaust vents (103)disposed through a sidewall (105) of the main body in the piston cavity(106) for relieving pressure from within the main body, wherein the oneor more exhaust vents (103) are skewed such that an entrance and an exitof each exhaust vent are offset from one another; iv) a depression pin(108) projecting from the plate (104) and into the valve stem cavity(107); v) a seating ring (113) projecting from the plate (104) andfacing the piston cavity (106); and vi) adjustment threads (111)disposed exterior to the piston cavity (106); b) a piston (120) movablydisposed in the piston cavity (106), the piston (120) comprising: i) apiston O-ring (121) disposed around an outer circumference of thepiston, wherein the piston O-ring (121) creates a seal that reduces oreliminates air leaks between the piston (120) and the piston cavity(106); ii) a membrane pad (122) disposed on an end of the piston facingthe plate (104) and abutting against the seating ring (113); and iii) ashaft cavity (124); c) a lock nut (150) threadably coupled to the mainbody (101) via the adjustment threads (111); d) an adjustment cap (130)threadably coupled to the main body (101) via adjustment threads (111),wherein the adjustment cap (130) covers the piston cavity (106); e) aspring shaft (140) coupled to the adjustment cap (130), the spring shaft(140 having a shaft tip (141) disposed in the shaft cavity (124) suchthat the shaft tip (141) rest upon a shaft seat (125) in the piston(120); and f) a spring (143) wrapped around the spring shaft (140),wherein a first end of the spring sits in an adjustment cap spring seat(133) and a second end of the spring sits in a shaft spring seat (142);wherein the adjustment cap (130) is threadably coupled to the main body(101), thereby compressing the spring (143) between the adjustment capspring seat (133) and the shaft spring seat (142) such that a desiredpressure setting is set based on a spring force of the compressed spring(143), wherein the lock nut (150) is threaded to abut against theadjustment cap (130) after the adjustment cap (130) is set.
 10. Thedeflator valve of claim 9, wherein the one or more input ports (102) andthe one or more exhaust vents (103) are configured to introduce air intoand relieve pressure from within the main body (101) in a vortex,circular flow.
 11. The deflator valve of claim 9, wherein the deflatorvalve is configured to be removably attached to a pressure vessel fordeflating the pressure vessel to the desired pressure.
 12. The deflatorvalve of claim 9, further comprising a valve stem O-ring (112) disposedwithin the valve stem cavity (107) and abutting the plate (104).
 13. Thedeflator valve of claim 12, wherein the main body (101) furthercomprises a threadless lead in (109) and stem cavity threads (110)disposed within the valve stem cavity (107), wherein the stem cavitythreads (110) are disposed between the threadless lead in (109) and thevalve stem O-ring (112).
 14. The deflator valve of claim 9, furthercomprising a pawl (202) operatively coupled to the main body (101) anddisposed through the valve stem cavity (107).
 15. The deflator valve ofclaim 9, wherein the one or more exhaust vents are circular shaped,square shaped, slotted, or any other regular or irregular shape.
 16. Thedeflator valve of claim 9 further comprising a manual start ring (160)attached to a terminal end of the spring shaft that is disposed throughthe adjustment cap (130).
 17. The deflator valve of claim 9, wherein thespring (143) comprises two individual springs, wherein the springs havethe same or different spring rate.
 18. The deflator valve of claim 9,wherein the spring (143) is a single, dual rate spring.
 19. The deflatorvalve of claim 9, wherein the spring (143) is a single, variable ratespring.
 20. The deflator valve of claim 9, wherein the spring (143) isconfigured to reduce noise and ease setting of the desired pressure.